In the boundless universe, countless spacecraft had once traveled back and forth among the stars.
And because of that, all kinds of support systems for ships had quietly come into being as well.
Repair worlds that fixed damaged vessels. Cleaning worlds that washed, serviced, and even repainted them...
Such planets could be found all across the galaxy.
That, in turn, was what made normal interstellar traffic possible on a universal scale.
The ships those worlds received came in every imaginable kind, but among them, the most eye-catching of all was undoubtedly that train that ran through the galaxy.
That's right—a train. A vehicle that, in many civilizations, would only have existed back in their steam age.
Compared to those high-tech spacecraft, it looked utterly out of place.
But no one would ever dare look down on it.
Because that train represented one of the most famous factions in the universe—the Nameless, who followed AKIVILI, the AEON of TRAILBLAZE.
It was even said that the former AEON had once served as the train's conductor.
Some called AKIVILI an invader. Some called THEM an evil god who brought war.
But THEIR contribution to the universe was beyond measure. It was THEY who spread the silver rails of the galaxy across the heavens and connected countless civilizations.
Even many of the routes ships traveled through the cosmos today were star rails THEY had laid down back then.
It could be said that if the universe had reached such an astonishing degree of interconnectedness, AKIVILI deserved enormous credit.
And on that train, many AEONS had once boarded as visitors. In that sense, it was one of the symbols of the galaxy itself.
Not only in the present, but in the past and the future as well, this train had left its mark.
It had once vanished from the universe for a time, only to become active again.
The train had a new Navigator, new passengers, new Nameless—and still it raced onward through the stars, still it blazed new trails.
And now, on this maintenance world, that famous train had arrived for servicing.
Since the train was currently undergoing repairs and upkeep, the passengers could only wander around this cleaning world in boredom.
"I seriously do not get why Pom-Pom is this obsessed with maintenance..."
March 7th clasped her hands behind her head, openly baffled by how the conductor insisted on bringing the train in for servicing every so often.
"Sure, Himeko's the one who repaired the Astral Express, but that still doesn't mean it needs maintenance this often, right?"
Once, the Astral Express had been stranded and broken down on a certain planet. It was then that Himeko, the train's current Navigator, had repaired it and set it running through the cosmos again.
But even so, that still didn't feel like enough reason to bring it in for servicing every few months.
She wanted to hurry on to the next planet and experience a brand-new adventure already.
"If you want to know that so badly, why not ask the conductor directly?"
Dan Heng walked beside her, of the opinion that if March 7th had questions, she ought to go straight to Pom-Pom.
Still, even he felt a little puzzled by how frequently the train was maintained.
He hadn't heard anything on the Luofu about the train being this delicate.
"From what I've heard, it seems the train was once involved in some kind of accident..."
Welt, who had been following behind the younger two the whole time, spoke up with what he knew.
"Apparently that accident left the train with all sorts of lingering issues afterward. That's why Pom-Pom cares so much about maintenance."
March 7th blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
She tried to imagine what kind of accident could possibly have been worse than the train being stranded in an unknown star system before Himeko ever boarded it.
And now Himeko had already repaired the train, and it had been traveling the universe normally for quite some time.
By all rights, any parts that needed replacing should already have been replaced.
"Could an accident from the past really still affect the train now?"
Her question naturally set both Welt and Dan Heng thinking.
"Then how about we guess what kind of accident it actually was?"
March 7th's eyes suddenly lit up. Since the train was in maintenance anyway, they didn't have anything else to do.
Might as well come up with a little game to kill the boredom.
"If we're talking about accidents..."
Dan Heng searched through the information in the train's archives.
The train had gone through no shortage of accidents over the years—not counting the smaller ones.
Long ago, back when AKIVILI was still around, a certain elation-seeking AEON had once dealt the train a heavy blow.
And after AKIVILI fell, the train suffered even more mishaps.
Still, there probably weren't many accidents serious enough for Pom-Pom to still be hung up on even now.
"Could it have happened during the Anti-Organic Wars? Something caused by the Mechanical Emperor, maybe?"
Dan Heng offered a guess.
After all, however you looked at it, the train was still mechanical in nature. It wouldn't be strange if it had been affected by the Mechanical Emperor.
In Welt's mind, meanwhile, an enormous robot made out of train cars had already taken shape.
Otherwise, he truly couldn't figure out how the train could have ended up with lasting aftereffects from the Anti-Organic Wars.
I see. So the Astral Express can combine into a robot.
Of course, Welt knew perfectly well that was just a hallucination produced by his own imagination.
After all, once he'd boarded the train, he had already checked the connection points between the cars himself—and naturally found no joints whatsoever that would let it transform into a giant robot.
"Frequent maintenance means they're worried about hidden problems. If we follow that line of thinking..."
A flash of inspiration struck March 7th. "Got it! What if the train crashed once?"
In her experience, this kind of frequent maintenance was common with secondhand ships—or ships that had been in accidents.
Those ships always had one flaw or another, so they got serviced constantly, in case one careless moment left them dead in the middle of space.
So from that, she concluded the train might once have been in a pretty serious collision.
"March, the train is protected by AKIVILI's power."
Welt offered the reminder kindly.
AKIVILI might have fallen, but THEIR Path still remained, and THEIR power still rested upon the train.
Never mind whether ordinary ships could even keep up with the train's speed in the first place.
Even if one were standing directly in front of it, the Astral Express would probably just punch straight through that ship without taking a scratch.
"That's true, I guess."
March 7th nodded, realizing her theory had indeed been a little off.
That made it Welt's turn. After thinking for a moment while looking at the other two, he lowered his gaze to the Star of Eden in his hand.
"Could a black hole have affected the train?"
Even in this technologically advanced age, black holes might already have yielded many of their secrets, but they still weren't something anyone could control reliably.
Even AKIVILI's train would probably be affected by one.
That was what Welt thought, anyway—but the other two were clearly a little skeptical.
And just as the three of them were about to keep going, a red-haired woman walked over.
"All right, the train's maintenance is finished. Everyone, let's get ready to depart."
The newcomer was none other than the Astral Express's current Navigator—Himeko.
And with her arrival, the others all turned to look at her.
"Hm? Why are you all staring at me?"
Himeko looked mildly puzzled.
The others promptly told her what they'd been talking about.
"Himeko, what do you think the reason is? Why does the train need maintenance this often?"
As the current Navigator—and the one closest to the conductor—Himeko just might know the answer.
A smile touched Himeko's face.
"You really want to know? The answer might disappoint you."
"Himekooo, come on, tell us already! We're dying to know!"
The moment March 7th heard there was hope, she immediately wrapped herself around Himeko's arm and started shaking it.
She was way too curious about the reason.
Even Dan Heng and Welt both fixed their eyes on her.
Dan Heng said, "As the administrator of the train archives, I think this should be recorded."
Welt adjusted his glasses and gave a light cough without adding anything.
Seeing how interested they all were, Himeko naturally didn't keep them in suspense.
"From what Pom-Pom told me, it happened several thousand years ago."
"At the time, the train's Navigator seems to have been someone named Mikhail."
Dan Heng's mind instantly pulled up the relevant records. He had been born on a planet called Lushaka.
After resolving the crisis on that world, he had chosen to join the Astral Express in blazing trails across the universe.
"They made a warp jump into a certain star system back then, and over there, this happened..."
Himeko deliberately drew out the last words, and everyone else's curiosity rose to its peak.
What exactly had happened that made Pom-Pom so meticulous about the Astral Express's upkeep?
Then, under everyone's expectant gaze, Himeko gave the real answer.
"A traffic accident."
"Woohoo! I guessed right! Hehe~"
March 7th cheered.
As expected, the only one who saw through the truth was the great detective March 7th—who might look a little airheaded on the outside, but whose wisdom far surpassed ordinary people's!
The other two, however, clearly found that answer hard to accept.
They'd just said that the Astral Express was sustained by AKIVILI's power. So how could it possibly get into a traffic accident?
"I don't know either. That's just what Pom-Pom told me."
Himeko spread her hands helplessly.
Now that they knew the truth, the others naturally lost interest.
If it really had just been an ordinary traffic accident, there wasn't much point digging any deeper.
But behind them, a mysterious look crossed Himeko's face.
Pom-Pom really had told her it was a traffic accident...
It was just that the two sides involved in that collision were rather interesting.
One of them went without saying: the very Astral Express that was currently being serviced.
As for the other, Pom-Pom had described them like this:
"That guy definitely has mental problems, always yelling and making a racket—no wonder he got into a crash even while driving a train!"
Pom-Pom had refused to say a word about it before, as though terrified the story might get out.
Only after Himeko had coaxed and prodded for quite a while had Pom-Pom finally blurted that out in a burst of emotion.
And the moment the conductor realized it had said too much, it ran off to clean the train.
In other words, what had happened back then was a train-on-train collision.
In this universe... other than the Astral Express, there's actually another train?
Himeko lifted her head and looked out at the vast, endless universe. To her surprise, a flicker of anticipation rose in her heart.
The universe was immense. Strange things existed everywhere.
Who knew when they might cross paths with that other train again?
...
After maintenance, the Astral Express set out across the cosmos once more.
No one knew where its next destination would be. No one knew where its future lay.
Perhaps, just like its codename—the Nameless—it would appear on some unknown planet in the very next moment, continuing its journey of Trailblaze.
Elsewhere, unlike the Astral Express and its drifting uncertainty, another vessel departing the Asdana system had a very clear destination in mind.
"Family Head, please take a short rest. In a little while, we'll reach the territory of the Xianzhou Alliance."
An exceptionally luxurious spacecraft was moving through the universe.
The paint scheme on its hull made its allegiance obvious.
It belonged to the Family, followers of XIPE, the AEON of HARMONY—another faction famed across the cosmos.
The AEON of HARMONY was extremely well known throughout the universe. THEY ruled over many harmonious celestial worlds, the AEON who sang of unified joy and concord throughout creation.
THEIR creed held that, in order to resist the universe's merciless laws, intelligent life must erase weak selfish desires and the differences between individuals.
No one should care about such distinctions. All life, regardless of wealth or status, was equally part of the Family.
Understanding, support, and cooperation were the manifestation of the Path.
To make music together in harmony, for the strong to support the weak, for the dead to protect the living, for all beings to be equal.
And the Family that followed XIPE tirelessly praised THEIR generosity across the universe.
Members of the Family believed that one day, the universe would become a single whole.
And when that day came, there would no longer be noisy conflict or contradiction anywhere in the cosmos—only eternal love and smiling faces.
Within the Asdana system, there was one outward-facing voice of the Family that was especially famous.
That was Penacony, known as the City of Sweet Dreams.
And now, the Family Head of Penacony had chosen to leave that world aboard a spacecraft.
The purpose of his journey was very simple...
"I wonder whether something happened to Robin, after all... she hadn't returned for so long."
The reason Sunday—the Family Head among Penacony's many Family branches, and the true power behind the City of Sweet Dreams—had left was to bring back his sister.
Standing by the spacecraft's glass viewing panel, Sunday gazed out at the vast and endless universe beyond.
His heart was no calmer than the stars.
Because news of Robin's activities had gone silent throughout the universe for far, far too long.
As her brother, it had been ages since he last saw his dearest sister active on-screen.
And who was Robin?
She was the most famous and influential songstress in the universe today.
Her fans were spread across the cosmos. Her songs were sung by countless living beings.
It could be said that every movement she made drew the attention of innumerable eyes.
And yet a galactic superstar of that level had remained almost completely quiet for several months.
Ordinarily, for someone with that much influence, if they weren't topping the galactic headlines four or five times a month, that already counted as low activity.
But ever since Robin finished a concert several months ago, she had shown faint signs of almost going off the grid.
In those months, reports about her had been vanishingly rare.
Some said she had gone to Zieltworth, the cradle of life.
Only a few days later, however, Zieltworth announced that the planet had been destroyed and utterly fallen.
Fortunately, all the patients had been evacuated in time, so no horrific tragedy occurred.
After a while, someone claimed to have seen her at Tartaro, at the Soul Springs.
But soon afterward, another universe-shaking event seized everyone's attention.
Tartaro, along with the surrounding hundreds of light-years, was swept up in a Swarm disaster not seen in millennia.
For a time, the eyes of the entire universe were fixed on that disaster, and any news of Robin's appearance vanished without a trace.
By the time Sunday saw his sister's name again, it was in a report about the founding of the Federation of Hope.
The identity attached to Robin in that report was "friend of the Federation"—and she was the only person to hold that status.
After that, the Federation and the Xianzhou Alliance made a film together.
When Sunday first saw that news, he had found it unbelievable.
His utterly perfect sister had played not the female lead, but the second female lead.
Sunday could hardly believe it.
Yet the Dreammaster confirmed that the news was real and even told him, "I once sent people to bring Robin back, but in the end, the Xianzhou Alliance stopped them."
How was Sunday supposed to accept that?
In his eyes, his sister must have been wronged, and that was why the Xianzhou Alliance had gained some hold over her.
Otherwise, with Robin's fame, there was no way she should only be playing the second female lead in a film.
Unable to stomach it, he had immediately sent word to both the Xianzhou Alliance and the Federation of Hope, demanding to know why they had obstructed the Family in retrieving one of its own, and accusing them of exploiting Robin.
Only, unexpectedly, his message never even reached the Xianzhou Alliance.
Because the Alliance was very quickly swept into a crisis.
Most of the Denizens of the Abundance who had committed atrocities in the Abundance Wars launched a campaign to encircle the Xianzhou Alliance.
Penacony's communications never got through; they were intercepted before they could arrive.
When Sunday learned what was happening, he naturally became deeply worried about his sister's safety.
Fortunately, that siege by the Denizens of the Abundance came quickly—and ended quickly, too.
Within only a few days, the entire upheaval had already been completely suppressed by the Xianzhou Alliance.
"The Xianzhou Alliance is at least somewhat useful. At the very least, they didn't let my sister get hurt."
Sunday gave the Alliance a small measure of recognition for its efficiency.
But as for Robin's role in that film, he had no intention of letting the matter go lightly.
Now that the turmoil had ended, the Xianzhou Alliance was in a sensitive period, and on top of that, the people the Family had previously sent had not gotten good results.
So this time, Sunday intended to handle it personally—to bring back his sister, who he believed had suffered all kinds of grievances out there beyond his sight.
If the one coming to retrieve Robin was the very head of one of the Family's worlds, that status ought to be more than sufficient.
And besides...
"If Robin learns how worried I've been for her safety, she'll surely pour out all her grievances starting from the beginning."
Sunday had already pictured the scene.
Robin would see him, start crying, and then pour out all the wrongs she'd suffered in his arms.
"Wuwuwu, Brother, thank goodness you came. The things I've gone through during this time, they were truly..."
As if he had already seen that future, a faint smile appeared on Sunday's face.
Don't worry, Robin. As your brother, I'll avenge every grievance you've suffered.
Sunday clenched his fist, his eyes full of resolve. At this moment, his entire being seemed to radiate the brilliance of elder-brotherhood.
The ship moved swiftly through space, and after some time, Sunday successfully arrived within the territory of the Xianzhou Alliance.
Since notice had already been sent ahead, someone came to receive him almost at once.
"I am Xi, a diplomat from the Cangyan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Sunday, the representative of the Family on Penacony. The pleasure is mine."
Naturally, a round of formal pleasantries followed their meeting.
Sunday looked over the woman before him, with her pale platinum hair.
For some reason, he had a faint sense that something about her was off, though he couldn't say exactly what.
And after shaking Sunday's hand, Xi had already gained some understanding of what was on his mind.
So he's here for Robin.
As for what kind of expression he'd make once he saw the current situation... that was hard to say.
Sunday did not waste time. He stated his purpose outright.
"Rumor has it that my younger sister is currently aboard the Xianzhou. I have come on this journey to bring her home."
And, while I'm at it, to settle accounts for the grievances she's suffered.
Sunday's expression turned stern, full of official gravity.
He had come to back up his sister. He had to look fierce.
"I see. Miss Robin is presently a guest of our Cangyan as well. I'll have someone bring her here right away."
"No need. I have not seen my sister in a very long time, and my longing to see her has long since become unbearable. I would rather go in person."
Sunday rejected Xi's kindness flatly.
He didn't trust the people of the Cangyan. He was afraid they'd send word ahead.
He had to see Robin's condition for himself.
Only then could he know exactly how much she had suffered.
"Mr. Sunday, no matter what, you are still an honored guest of our Cangyan. Wouldn't that be a little..."
"Thank you for the Xianzhou's hospitality, but Robin is my own flesh and blood!"
If his sister had suffered some grievance and he, as her brother, knew nothing about it—then wouldn't that be the end of it?
So Sunday took the lead and strode off at once.
Xi fell silent. Looking at Sunday, she unexpectedly caught a glimpse of something of herself in him.
Feng Liqi had been the same. As her elder sister, Xi had never been able to stop worrying.
But now Feng Liqi no longer needed her concern. She had already become someone capable of bearing great responsibilities.
Then Xi noticed Sunday coming back from ahead.
"Did something happen?"
"Cough, cough."
Sunday cleared his throat. "I... still don't know where Robin is staying. Might I trouble Miss Xi to tell me...?"
The corner of Xi's mouth twitched. Her impression of Sunday abruptly collapsed by half.
All right, that one was on me. This guy doesn't actually seem that reliable after all.
Robin was, after all, an honored guest of the Cangyan, and considering the film incident from before, the place she was staying naturally wasn't lacking in any way.
So Sunday was fairly satisfied with the buildings and atmosphere around them.
It seemed the Xianzhou at least had some sense. In matters like this, they hadn't let Robin suffer any indignity.
But once he arrived, he discovered that a whole ring of people had gathered outside Robin's room.
And most importantly, their faces all looked oddly similar. Clustered around the door, they seemed to be eavesdropping on something.
The moment Sunday saw that, he frowned.
These people... don't tell me they're paparazzi trying to pry into my sister's privacy?
"Is this truly the extent of the Xianzhou's protection of personal privacy?"
"Uh..."
Xi looked at the Iron Cavalry girls blocking the door and eavesdropping, and the corner of her mouth twitched again. "These people are actually here specifically to guard Miss Robin."
Though in all honesty, they really did not look like guards.
Sunday choked on that. No matter how he looked at it, he had never expected his sister to end up with such unreliable people serving as her bodyguards.
With how gossipy they looked, it would already be a blessing if they weren't out there selling Robin's information.
Points deducted.
"Ahem. Would you all mind letting us through?"
Though Sunday disapproved of these guards, he still maintained the courtesy expected of the Family's representative.
If he was going to dismiss them, he'd do it in private. At least on the surface, he remained perfectly amiable.
"Let you through? Who are you?"
Sunday's voice naturally drew the Iron Cavalry girls' attention.
They looked at the man before them and all frowned.
"Who am I? You don't recognize me?"
Sunday clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin. The representative of the Family—who didn't know that name?
The girls looked at one another, then answered in unison:
"Nope."
Sunday nearly stumbled on the spot. He stared at the Iron Cavalry girls in disbelief as they began whispering among themselves.
But the Iron Cavalry girls had no intention of paying him any mind.
"Who's this guy? He's not even as handsome as Sora-san."
"Seriously. Doesn't he know Sora-san's in there with Robin right now, and—"
What?!
Sunday instantly caught a certain name.
Robin's name.
But another, unfamiliar name had appeared together with hers!
And Sora... why did that sound so familiar?
Sunday frowned and searched his memory. Then suddenly he remembered the film's promotional line:
"Hoshigaki Sora—without her, how are we supposed to stand against Bolue?!"
"Heh, simple. I'm here, aren't I!"
A man had tossed his head back and flashed a dazzlingly healthy smile.
If Sunday remembered correctly, that person was a man?!
And combined with the clues these Iron Cavalry girls had just given him—a man and a woman locked in a room together, while the guards outside wore those utterly gossipy expressions...
Alarm bells exploded in Sunday's mind.
Robin is in danger!
That was the verdict of his elder-brother radar, and it could not possibly be wrong!
It had to be the man behind these incompetent guards—using his influence to keep Robin shut inside that room so he could do things he absolutely should not be doing!
Robin, after all, was the most famous songstress in the entire cosmos.
The value she carried was more than enough to tempt countless factions.
And if someone wanted to control her, the best way was naturally to get leverage over her.
The instant Sunday realized that, his expression turned deadly serious.
He tugged at his tie and said in a grave voice, "I'll say this one more time. Move aside immediately. Do not force me to break through."
No matter what else, he was still someone on the verge of becoming the Child of Order.
Dealing with a few ordinary guards should have been simple for him.
By the time Xi reached out from behind to stop him, it was already too late.
The Iron Cavalry girls in front exchanged a glance when they heard his words.
"Was that a threat?"
"Sounds like it..."
In that case...
Fwoosh!
Pure white flames swept over their bodies, and pieces of bright silver armor enveloped them.
Before Sunday had even fully reacted, a hand cannon was already aimed squarely at his face.
"Threat detected. Beginning elimination procedures!"
The mechanical voice of their Firefly armor swallowed up the softness of their youthful female voices.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they had never been weak to begin with. No matter what, they were warriors who had survived the endless tide of copies Titania had created.
Their combat strength was obvious to anyone.
Part of the reason the Luofu had been able to reach Sora's side so quickly back then was because of their efforts.
Xi knew these girls were no match for her, but if they joined forces, they could still exchange a few blows with Jin Xing.
Sunday had been far too reckless in provoking them.
With that hand cannon at point-blank range, Sunday naturally sensed the danger.
At a moment like this, it would probably be better to explain his true identity clearly.
Yet just as Sunday was about to do exactly that—a voice suddenly came from behind the tightly shut door.
"Ah—so itchy..."
?!!!
Sunday's eyes flew wide open!
That voice—there was no mistaking it. It was Robin's!
His sister was being tormented in there. As her brother, how could he possibly still think about negotiating at a time like this?
He had to save Robin from those evil clutches!
At this moment, only one sentence remained in Sunday's heart:
Keep moving forward!
"Give me back my sister!"
Sunday charged straight at the Iron Cavalry girls!
...
BANG!
A sudden noise from outside the door drew Robin's attention.
"Was that some weird sound from outside?"
"Huh? No, I don't think so. You probably heard wrong."
Sora was concentrating on manipulating the plants, continuously easing Robin's tension and massaging her. How could he spare any attention for something like that?
Plant Affinity—that was the ability Sora had only discovered recently.
It seemed to be something Gaim had left behind for him, a power that let him accelerate and control plant growth.
Still, it wasn't exactly a convenient ability. He had to focus with complete concentration just to manage something like this massage.
It was nowhere near what it had been like back when he could casually open Helheim.
And the reason he was using plants to massage Robin here, aside from showing her this ability so she'd know he wasn't hiding it from her, was because he still had a question.
"So what exactly was the reason you were upset before?"
Robin opened her eyes and looked at Sora.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Of course. No matter what, I can't just let you suffer for nothing. Whoever did it, I'll help you settle the score."
"Hehe. Guess~"
Robin smiled slyly and went back to enjoying the all-natural massage.
Guess? How am I supposed to guess that?
Sora sighed helplessly. Since there was no way to figure out who had upset her, all he could do was help soothe her mood with the massage.
...
Sunday's hand had almost reached the doorknob.
Robin—your brother's here!
As long as I keep reaching forward, no one can bully you!
And yet that tiny distance felt like an impassable gulf to Sunday.
Just a little more. Just a little bit more!
In the end, he still failed to touch the knob.
His hand dropped weakly.
The doorknob simply sat there, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.
No one could open it from the outside.
---
T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO SUNDAY so funny but guys
new arc is going to the past again because obv BUT ITS AN ASTRAL EXPRESS ARC OMGGGG
ALSO?? EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN JUST A FEW MONTHS???? HOLY SHITTTTTTTT